Exactly. I'm sorry people are too attached to their vices to agree with you.

Very true. I can't tell you how nice it is to not have someone in your life who sets you on edge.

I had to live with a narcissistic sister most of my life, and when she finally moved out it was freeing. I can finally do things without worrying about her listening in on conversations, I can finally sleep at night without hearing her stupid shows blasting through the walls (no headphones at 11pm, sometimes 1am), I can finally have voice calls, I can finally sit at my computer and not hear her screaming at her finace/now husband about how she's mad at him but not for what.

It's so nice to just not be around toxic people and you don't realize that until you get away from them.

Idk if this is true socially. I mean, to an extent. I'm tempted to make something about how your personality has to center around jokes and fun in order to have any kind of relationship-building to occur outside of necessity. Because people don't tell you that.

People don't tell you that they don't want to be around you because you're too up tight, or they feel weird about being around you because of pent-up emotions to the point that you choose to have emotions because you're so guarded.

I understand that it's hard to be scared of people, it's hard to be scared of ruining a reputation, but it's important to also be yourself in that respect, to give yourself respect.

Respect yourself, change for the better.

Just do the thing. You know what it is. It's going to take like, what? One hour? At most? Just do it. It'll be easier to do other things after that, so just stop avoiding it. Don't you throw a pity party, it's time to do the thing. If you have to, put on your hat. Make that hat your working hat. Nothing can deter you from doing it when you have the hat because you're in uniform now. Sit up straight, respect your uniform, you're working on the thing now.

This does just sound like a jumbled mess because it's so late, but I think past me would get the point because yes, I'm far too motivated by what clothes I'm wearing.

Idk, sometimes those hang in there posts just need the sentiment of "If you're going through Hell, keep on going," rather than having a pacifist 'there's a problem, and I can't fix it, so just endure.'

Honestly, though, you can change as a person and it'll help a lot of minor/medium problems. That's why people recommend that normies go to therapy. A different mindset can help you handle a lot more situations to make them less stressful.

Because I definitely partake in unhealthy coping mechanisms like that. Yep. Absolutely accurate.

It's gambling. If you don't have that high of moral standards, then there's not much point in arguing about it unless you want to try and convince me that it's not predatory and that poorer areas and black neighborhoods are disproportionally targeted by it?

Edit since I saw yours: Not really. I don't drink. I also view that as useless, though not as predatory since Americans have to be 21 to throw their money away getting alcohol.

You talk about it like people even have a chance at winning nowadays. Last time I checked you have a better chance at getting hit by lightning 3 times in your lifetime.

If you really want to moderate, then understand that it's a scam and choose a better coping mechanism.